The F1 paddock is split between either raging against Sebastian Vettel’s current dominance, or accepting that the 2011 crown seems destined for the head of the 23-year-old German.
"If he keeps it up like this, the season will be over at half distance," the blunt RTL commentator and triple world champion Niki Lauda said after Turkey.
At Istanbul Park, Vettel continued his perfect pole record and won his third race of the season, moving France’s L’Equipe to dub him ’Mr 93 per cent’.
That is a reference to the fact the Red Bull driver is only 7 points short of having captured a maximum 100 points haul from the first four rounds of 2011.
"If it continues like this, it is no longer a question or if (Vettel) will win the championship, but just when," wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport.
McLaren’s Jenson Button, however, sounded angry when told by reporters that Vettel will almost certainly defend his title.
"What’s the point in saying that? We might as well fu**ing go home. I mean, come on guys, let’s not make it too negative," said the Briton.
But Button’s teammate Lewis Hamilton acknowledged: "It’s very similar to when Schumacher was dominating. Now Sebastian is dominating."
Told the season could be over after as few as 10 races, he responded: "I don’t have a fear that will happen, but it is possible. But it is also possible we could catch up and overtake them."